United Fresh issues food safety white paper

A new 18-page report from the United Fresh Produce Association lays out a timeline for implementation of the just-passed FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

The paper, called “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010: Likely Impact on the Produce Industry” is available free of charge to members and at a cost of $50 for nonmembers, the association said in a Jan. 12 news release for the Washington, D.C.-based association.

The document looks at new responsibilities and regulations related to the law for operators throughout the fresh produce supply chain, United Fresh said in the release.

The implementation of the legislation will take more than three years, the United Fresh white paper indicated.

Under the law, companies will be required to develop preventive food safety controls and share their plans with the FDA.

One of the first milestones in the law, the document said, is the requirement that the Food and Drug Administration — in concert with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state departments of agriculture and the Secretary of Homeland Security — publish a proposed food safety for fruits and vegetables.

The white paper said the rule will establish minimum science-based standards for fruits and vegetables based on known safety risks, including the commodity’s link to foodborne illness outbreaks.

Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for United Fresh, said the document gives a quick but complete summary of the major changes the industry will face.

The paper includes segment-specific impacts of the law, in addition to big picture looks at mandatory recall authority for FDA, traceability, foodborne illness surveillance, food safety education and more.

The white paper can be downloaded at the United Fresh web site. Questions about how to obtain the paper can be directed to Julie Jacocks, United Fresh education manager, at jjacocks@unitedfresh.org or (202) 303-3400, ext. 405.

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About the Author:

Tom Karst

Tom Karst is national editor for The Packer and Farm Journal Media, covering issues of importance to the produce industry including immigration, farm policy and food safety.
He began his career with The Packer in 1984 as one of the founding editors of ProNet, a pioneering electronic news service for the produce industry. Tom has also served as markets editor for The Packer and editor of Global Produce magazine, among other positions.
Tom is also the main author of Fresh Talk, www.tinyurl.com/freshtalkblog, an industry blog that has been active since November 2006.
Previous to coming to The Packer, Tom worked from 1982 to 1984 at Harris Electronic News, a farm videotext service based in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Tom has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism from Kansas State University, Manhattan.
He can be reached at tkarst@farmjournal.com and 913-438-0769. Find Tom's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/tckarst.